GB732104A - Improvements relating to the cleaning of heat-exchanger tubes - Google Patents

Abstract

732,104. Cleaning tubes. AKTIEBOLAGET SVENSKA MASKINVERKEN. April 18, 1951 [Dec. 29, 1950], No. 9105/51. Class 99 (2). [Also in Group XIII] In a heat-exchanger comprising tubes or tube coils containing a heat-absorbing medium, the external surfaces of those tubes or coils are cleaned by subjecting different parts thereof to different irregular vibbratory motion. As shown in Fig. 1, a steam boiler comprises tube coils 2 suspended in rows in side-byside relationship, every alternate row of coils depending lower than the adjacent rows and being engaged by a notched bar 4 connected to a piston 5 working in a cylinder 6 supplied with compressed air through a conduit 9. A magnetactuated valve 10 controlled by an electric relay 11 and interposed in the conduit 9 admits compressed air to the cylinder so that the piston urges the bar 4 in one direction and at the end of the stroke of the piston the valve 10 shuts off the supply of air and a spring 7 urges the piston and the bar in the reverse direction whereby the coils connected to the bar strike the adjacent coils to remove accumulations of soot and dust. The vibration initiating means may be operated at regular or irregular intervals. In modifications, (a), Fig. 2 (not shown), compressed air is supplied alternately to each end of the cylinder 6 and through a slide-valve operated by electromagnets or cam means, (b), Fig. 5 (not shown), the tube coils are connected to rods reciprocated by a link and crank mechanism or by manuallyoperable means external of the heat-exchanger; alternatively, the rods strike against the tubes, and (c) flywheel vibrators operating at irregular numbers of revolutions are rotatably supported by the tubes.